


here's looking at you

by lemere



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-09-28 15:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10130309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemere/pseuds/lemere
Summary: important moments through lenses





	1. here's looking at you (in the moonlight)

You don’t notice it, not at first.

When you first arrived on this planet, you weren’t sure what to make of the light. You had expected something to change, of course – your mother had prepared you for your powers, for what the light would do to you – but you didn’t expect the color, not really. You’d lived your whole life underneath red. That’s not to say it wasn’t beautiful, it was, but this new light brings out a brightness that Krypton never possessed.

  
You didn’t expect it to be tangible, to be able to feel it caress your skin. The light here can almost be touched, it’s so strong. There are more colors to it, more brightness. You’ve never told anyone this, but it’s the light that makes you who you are. Of course it does.

  
You’re Supergirl, you couldn’t be Supergirl without the yellow sun, but how it made you feel, seeing the light play across your new room, dance across your new sister’s face, rise with reds and purples in your new sky? (You watch every sunrise and sunset until you are in college) Krypton’s star never did that, and you found you liked the feeling. You wanted that feeling to stay with you, forever, and so you made it your goal in life to be the person that brings light to everyone you meet, to recreate the feeling that light gives you for everyone else.

So you’re not all that surprised when your girlfriend, one fine, sunny day, suddenly breaks down laughing. When she finally calms, she tells you that, like a cat, you have spent the lazy day following the rays of sun around your apartment. She’s not complaining, of course. She tells you the light makes your skin glow, bronzed, turns your hair to liquid, golden fire, and makes your eyes shine like the sky you fly through.

  
You are Kara Danvers, too, and so you blush madly when she tells you this. You are still (always) used to hiding yourself as Kara Danvers, and to know that so much attention is brought to you just by the presence of light runs against your instincts for hiding. It doesn’t stop you from pulling Lena close for a kiss, and doesn’t stop you from kissing her pale skin until she lays breathless and sated in the comforting light that fills your place.

But you still don’t notice, not for a while.

You, Kara Zor-el, are a creature of the light. It powers you, gives you joy. It is your favorite thing about this planet, besides the people that you love so dearly.  
(Clark had told you once, about the time soon after he’d revealed himself to the world, about floating high above, almost in space, looking down on his people, and knowing he’d made the right choice. “If you only knew how you are loved, not one of you would raise a hand in rage again,” he’d said. Sometimes when you have nothing to do, you float above your city, and watch the small shadows run around in the fading day.) When you told Alex this, some time ago, she had laughed fondly. Her pale skin and auburn hair is not suited to the light like you are, but she loves watching you play in it. Sometimes, she even consents to flying with you at sunrise or sunset, and you talk, far above the worries of the world. But the light is yours, and you wish you could share it with everyone.

Except…

Well, you know Lena is beautiful, and you tell her so every night, day, and in-between. Her eyes are as green as yours are blue, and her hair as dark as yours is bright. Because she is Lena Luthor, she does not blush as you do when you say this, but you know that few people have told her she is beautiful without an ulterior motive. You want her to know that, so you tell her in the quiet moments, when you want for nothing, and you hope someday she’ll believe you.

But the golden light is still not hers, and it takes you months of being together before you see what is hers.

The Luthor name is shrouded in darkness, everyone knows this. Lex and Lillian have irrevocably made it so, and you worry (Lena worries) that no matter what L-Corp does, it will always be so. It will not stop her trying, and you admire her for this – it’s very similar to your own work as Supergirl – but you know it exhausts her more each time an investor or contractor makes a biting comment about her family’s history, no matter how much good L-Corp does in the light, no matter how many charity balls and galas Lena is seen at.

  
One day, though, you see it. The darkness is hers. Not the Luthor darkness, no, never that. She has proven her goodness over and over again.

There’s more than one kind of darkness, after all. For example, the kind that Lena Luthor exists in.

You’ve never really been religious. You know your people’s myths, of course, and you go through the motions of the festivals and rituals. You don’t want your people’s faith to be lost, but when Krypton exploded, well…

You’ve never really been religious.

But you do read, and you’ve made an effort to learn about the cultures of Earth. You want to be a hero for all the people here, not just National City, and so you read: China, Japan, Arabia, Africa, South America. All the varied cultures, religions, everything you can get your hands on, you read. You want to understand these people, their hopes, dreams, their horrors and wars. And so you are reading one day, and you come across an interesting belief, a belief about darkness. Darkness and light, existing in balance together. It starts showing up in other cultures around the world, and you are fascinated.

If you are light, you think, maybe she is darkness. You work in the day, as Supergirl, and as Kara Danvers (journalist), you bring to light that which others wish would remain shadowed.

Lena Luthor, though, works in the shadows – money quietly removed from anti-alien causes and appropriated for a new LGTBQ charity for queer teens, or a mysterious grant for Harvard Med’s new xeno-biology program, technologies granted to those who will use them best… the list goes on.

You asked her once why she doesn’t advertise this. “Wouldn’t it help clear L-Corp’s name?”

She shrugs. “Maybe. But there are always people who want to see the worst in me and my company. Of course we’re public about some things. Our tech is rivaled only by Wayne and Queen. We compete for Star Labs’ time as much as the next company, and that’s big news. But when I first took over and started rearranging my donations, people just saw it as a transparent effort to gain public sympathy, a disingenuous move. So now I only pay lip service to the stereotypical charities and run donations through my personal account, quietly.”

You cannot argue with this logic, though you’d like to. She does good in the shadows, content in the knowledge that she is good (she believes you, now, after three years. She does.)

You forget about this conversation for a while, but then you see Lena Luthor, for the first time, in the light of a full moon.

It has been a long week for both of you, and you offer to take her on a short flight to a hill overlooking the city, one you’ve visited before. She declines, and instead proposes a trip. You cannot call Snapper fast enough, and though he grumbles, you remind him ever so sweetly you have enough vacation time stored up to stop coming to work for two months. He gives you the time off.

Lena won’t tell you where you’re going, and so you find yourself on her private plane (being the girlfriend of a billionaire does have perks). An hour later, the two of you disembark at a small airstrip that can barely accommodate a jet. The smell of a forest assaults your acute senses, and she tells you with a grin that you’re at the Luthor private retreat, on the coast of Washington State. There are no people for miles, no lights, and she tells you to look up.

You don’t. You look at her, only ever at her, and you realize that yes, it is only right Lena Luthor should own the night like you own the light. You are gold, and she is silver. The moonlight brings out a silvery sheen in her skin that nearly drives you to your knees. Her hair is a deep void framing her face, and as you wind your arms around her neck to thank her properly, you run your fingers through it. As you kiss her, you notice her green eyes have their own radiance, and over her shoulder you see the glint of moonlight on the ocean and they are the same color, stormy and calm and comforting all at once and you think yes.

After that, you come up with excuse after excuse to get her outside at night. You suddenly develop an interest in travel, and she’s happy to oblige you, once assured Jess can temporarily run L-Corp (Jess has become your co-conspirator, if not your confidant, in the Make Lena Luthor Work Less Club. You’ve made coffee mugs.) You always go somewhere that’s beautiful at night, always at the full moon. Either she doesn’t notice or doesn’t comment, but she always smiles. Lena Luthor has many smiles, and you thought you’d seen them all. The predatory smile at work, when a man thinks he has the better of her, a wolf’s smile, surrounded by blood red lips. The exasperated smile when you are being (purposefully) ridiculous that’s tinged with love, and the one that signals she is weakening and will soon join you in your shenanigans. The one filled with quiet affection for you, and the friends that arrive every Thursday for game night. But now there’s a new one, and it’s Lena Luthor smiling at you in the silvery light of the moon. It doesn’t look all that different, but it feels different, as if this smile shows the truest part of Lena’s being. The night hides what she fakes in the day, the parts of herself developed because of her responsibilities to her company and her family’s history, and the night reveals her as she wants to be apart from all that; the night shows who she truly wants to be, and you’re a part of that.

Finally, one day, when you have dragged her out for a flight at the witching hour, claiming restlessness, you tell her. She looks quizzical for a moment, and then her shoulders droop. You gently lift her chin, blue eyes meeting green, and ask if you’ve said something wrong.

“No, it’s just… not really, I mean. It makes sense,” and you know she has misunderstood you, in the way you feared she would.

“Lena, that’s not why,” you whisper, desperate to make yourself understood. You tell her about the balance between light and dark, how many cultures believe in a good darkness, a darkness that conceals the bad and brings out the good. Even the dark must end and the sun will rise, after all, and you tell her that her work in the darkness makes the light that much brighter.

And now here is something else that's new: Lena crying in the dark, two tears. You brush them away, and kiss her, and she has nothing to say but she won’t let you pull away from the kiss until you cheat and use just a little bit of your strength to break her hold. You change out of your suit, and sit next to her on the couch, letting the moonlight stream in.

“The light… well, you always talk about how I look in the sunlight. But I think the night suits you, suits how you work, how you help people just as much, if not more, than I do.” You are both quiet, now, simply being together, your thumb slowing running across the back of her hand. “I think without the darkness, we wouldn’t appreciate the light. I chose the light because the darkness in me… it’s the void where a planet used to be.” You know she understands what you mean by this; the weight of a world, billions of lives on your shoulders. There is no more fundamental darkness than that. “It would consume me otherwise. But the light and the dark… they balance each other, value each other. Can’t have one without the other.”

You have told her a thousand times, but you tell her again: “Lena Luthor, I love you, and you are good, brave, kind, and strong, no matter where you work.”

You fall asleep together on the couch, waking to the sun’s rays, and you see her looking at you, with something changing in her eyes, and you think that just maybe, she believes you. You know so when she kisses you, dark hair creating shadows on your face. She removes your shirt, moving slowly over your sun-kissed skin, and she leaves you gasping her name just as the sun crests over the city.

Six months later, you fly her to the Luthor compound you’d visited, and right as the day dies and brings forth the night, you drop to one knee and pull out a ring, a ring with a green stone the color of her eyes and a silver band that matches the sheen of her skin in the moonlight. You start to ask the question, but she lays a perfectly manicured finger gently over your lips and kneels next to you, pulling out a box of her own. You start to smile as you realize what happened, and she opens it to reveal another ring, this one with a stone that matches your eyes and a band that’s the color of your hair in the dying light of the day. Wordlessly, you slip your ring on, and she does the same, meeting in the middle for a long kiss.

Three months after that, in a small ceremony, you will marry this woman, at the break of day (she had insisted; Alex and Winn had grumbled until Maggie glared them both into submission). She wears a dress with a silvery train, and your dress has gold stitching. You say your vows as the sun turns the water to scintillating fire, and you think that you could forgo the sun forever if it meant you could see her in the moonlight.


	2. here's looking at you (all of a sudden lovestruck)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena accidentally kisses Kara in public and this leads to other accidents

The first time you kiss Kara Danvers in public, it’s a complete accident. You’d been trying to keep things quiet, for both your sakes. It wouldn’t do for people to be looking at Kara Danvers so closely, especially when Supergirl was _also_ seen so frequently in Lena Luthor’s company, and while you maintained an active Instagram and Twitter, you _very_ carefully curated the content that appeared on public platforms. People already stared at Luthors enough. You’d been running late – Kara in the morning, eyes lidded, hair golden fire in the breaking dawn and sheets pooling around her waist, was _irresistible_ – so were leaving your penthouse together, and she’d said goodbye, and you’d said goodbye, you’d both gone in for the farewell, habit after these first few months, and you hadn’t realized until you were almost to the office that _oh shit people could see us_. You’d been thinking about _Kara Danvers_ , so you didn’t think you could be held all that responsible for forgetting.

When you relate this anecdote to Jess, hours later, she scoffs at you, deservedly.

“An accident? What, did you trip and fall on her mouth?”

A glare from you only results in raised eyebrows, and you find yourself regretting promoting Jess to “friend.” The woman’s wit is surpassed only by that possessed by a certain detective you’ve only recently met. You sigh, hoping for some sympathy, but her eyebrows only go up more.

“No, I didn’t trip onto her mouth.”

When you offer no further details, your assistant gestures, clearly expecting you to go on.

“This wasn’t, like, your first kiss _period_ , was it?”

You scoff and blush at the same time. Somehow it works.

“No, of course not. We’ve just been keeping it under wraps for media purposes, you know this. You’ve helped us hide it, for Christ’s sake!”

“Yes, I’m aware, but I’m also still unclear on the details of how this was an _accident_ , so come on. Spill.” She decisively stabs a piece of kale from the salad she brought you, emphasizing her impatience. It’s your turn to raise eyebrows.

“Would you like to go get lunch?” 

“No, that was just a particularly tasty-looking bit of kale - wait, what am I even saying, that doesn't exist. Also, you’re stalling. Pretend this is assistant work and I need the details to run interference and damage control, which, now that I think about it, isn’t _actually_ out of the question.”

You sigh again. It’s a good point. You’ve lost, and Jess knows it. Hence the shit-eating grin. Eyes cast down into your salad, you mumble the answer.

“Didn’t catch that, sorry!” she says brightly. “Hey your face is red!”

If she weren’t a brilliant assistant, you would’ve fired her years ago, just for the peace and quiet.

With a raised voice, you admit the simple truth. “She was being… _Kara_ and I forgot.”

Jess pauses with another piece of your salad halfway to her mouth. 

“So… you’re telling me that a relationship you’ve been _very_ carefully hiding from the press might be leaked because your girlfriend was being… adorable?”

The fork jitters out of the salad bowl as you allow your suddenly heavy head to thunk dramatically onto your desk.

“Yes,” you groan, voice muffled by your arms.

You gather yourself for a moment before looking up. Your assistant is nearly asphyxiating from laughing so hard, no sound coming out.

Another sigh. “Jessica.”

She manages to gather herself together after a few moments.

“I am _very_ much regretting hiring you, Jess, let alone allowing you to become my friend.”

She airily waves a hand, unconcerned by this declaration.

“Okay, okay, I’m good. I’ll start trawling the rags, see if someone got the shot. If so, normal damage control protocols?”

You nod, grateful, and admit to yourself that it _is_ a relatively amusing situation. The careful, controlled Lena Luthor, brought down by _cuteness_.

She nods in return, and begins to exit. “Will that be all, Miss Luthor?”

The familiar ritual makes you smile. “That’ll be all, Jess. Thank you.”

She tosses you another quick, genuine smile, and as the doors shut behind her, you already hear her dialing her contacts at CatCo and other media outlets.

\-- 

It’s mid afternoon before Jess has any news regarding your early morning mistake. 

She breezes in and sits, knowing you don’t have a meeting and with no preamble.

“CatCo has a photo, but they’re not running it. Someone, apparently, showed it to Cat and she rolled her eyes at them and, um, reminded them CatCo’s policy on tabloid journalism.”

You chuckle. “So she threatened to fire them if that photo got out without my or Kara’s permission?” 

“Precisely. However,” – your heart sinks – “TMZ’s also got it, and they’re not so nice. Cat offered to pull some strings to give you and Kara a few more hours, but that’s all she can really do.”

You close your eyes briefly. Well, it was a nice few months of privacy. When they open again, you’ve resigned yourself to your fate.

“Very well, then. Prepare a statement – just the basics, who Kara is, three months of dating, we’re very happy – and send it to me when it’s done. I’ll see if Kara is free, and we’ll look over it.”

Jess nods and rises from the chair, matching your businesslike air. “Of course. Will that be all, Miss Luthor?”

 “Give yourself a bonus, but yes, that’ll be all.”

 She grins. “Don’t have to tell me twice.

You wave her out of the office with an exaggeratedly annoyed air. As she leaves, you spin in the chair, looking out over your city. Kara has no idea the media frenzy that’s about to descend on her life. Sure, she’d been making a splash, penning a few big stories and breaking into journalistic bigtime, figuratively, but a journalist being in the public eye was still dramatically different than _Lena Luthor_. Ever since coming out as a teenager, your love life had been a source of constant fascination for the damned tabloids. You dealt with it – you’re Lena fucking Luthor – but you didn’t like it. You hated dragging some poor soul into the kind of scrutiny a relationship with you invited. Alas, nothing for it now. Besides, you thought with a smile, you didn’t think Kara was going anywhere anytime soon, so maybe it was best to rip the bandage off quickly. Kara’s the first person in your favorites list.

 “ _Hey, what’s the word?_ ” she asks, bright despite the potential for bad news. Always bright. As per usual, you are smiling like an idiot immediately.

“Only bad news, I’m afraid. We have a few hours. I’d recommend putting your accounts on private until the initial frenzy blows away. If you could drop by soon to sign off on L-Corp’s statement, that would be lovely.”  

Kara sighs, but doesn’t sound too put out. “ _Well, it was bound to happen eventually._ ”

 “Sure, but I think we both would’ve preferred it be on our own time. It helps that Jess knows about _you_ and the importance of discretion, but there’s only so much this statement can do.”

 “ _Nothing we can do about that. I’ll be over shortly, I just submitted edits to Snapper so I’m free for a bit._ ”

 “See you in a bit, then.”  And indeed, within two minutes you hear the familiar sounds of boots softly landing on the balcony. You don’t turn, but you let a smile grow on your face. Hands that have become so blissfully familiar to you land on your shoulders, gently massaging some tension out of them, and blond curls tickle the side of your face as Kara brushes a kiss on your cheek. You unconsciously lean up towards it, like you can’t wait for her to move the whole distance, and you feel the inevitable smile on your lips.

 “I didn’t mean you needed to come quite that fast, darling.”

 “Like I said, I wasn’t really doing anything. I took the chance to do a quick scan, anyway.”

 You shrug off her hands, but only so you can stand and turn to face her. She smiles, bright and happy, that strange combination of Supergirl’s poise and confidence and Kara’s charm and effusiveness that only seems to come out around you or Alex. You stretch up to meet her kiss and wrap your arms around her neck, taking a moment to just enjoy her presence and letting it sooth your frustration.

 "I’m sorry, by the way. Not particularly ideal timing for this kind of mistake.”

 She waves this away. “It never would’ve been. We’re running with it.”

 You nod and buzz for Jess, who seems, upon entering, one hundred percent unsurprised to see Supergirl standing there.

 “I have that statement for you, Lena. Wonderful to see you, as always, Supergirl.” She hands you the typewritten sheet, and you and Kara take a moment to look over it before you both nod.

 “Looks good. Wait till the actual photo comes out, then release this. You don’t… happen to know what the photo is of, do you?”

 Jess shakes her head. “CatCo’s was of the actual kiss. I don’t know what TMZ has.”

 Kara shrugs. “All we can hope for is that it’s adorable.”

 “With the two of you, it’s going to be adorable,” Jess snickers.

 You throw her a mock glare. “You’re fired.”

 “Finally. I can catch up on _Brooklyn-99_.”

 “You’re welcome. You can go for the day, just set an alert for the story. Take the afternoon.” This time, Jess does seem legitimately grateful. It’s not often the two of you have the chance to call an early day.

 “Thank you, Miss Luthor. Have a good afternoon. Miss Danvers.”

 Kara flicks her cape in Jess’s direction. “Enjoy the new episodes. The finale will _break_ you.”

 “Spoil it for me and I’ll bury you in kryptonite.”

 “Then I really _will_ fire you.”

 After Jess leaves, Kara looks down at you. You’re still somewhat cocooned in her arms, and you take advantage of the privacy to bury your face in her chest.

 “I really am sorry, darling. You have no idea what’s about to descend on you. There’ll be supporters, people who hate you, trolls, misogynists, homophobes. You’re about to run the gauntlet.”

 “ _We’re_ ,” she corrects you, ever so quietly and gently, and that simple word reminds you why you fell for her so quickly. “We’re about to run the gauntlet. _El mayarah_ , remember? Always.”

 You can’t speak. You’re still not used to that kind of faith. All you can do is draw her down for another kiss. After a few moments, she says quietly, “Alex doesn’t need me tonight, and I’ve already let her and J’onn know what’s coming.”

 There’s something in her voice, and it takes you a moment to decipher what _it_ is, and you treat her to the trademark Luthor grin when you do. Kara shrugs, feigning innocence. “Might as well enjoy the fact I don’t have to sneak out in the morning anymore.”

 “Take me home, Miss Danvers.”

 “With pleasure, Miss Luthor.”

 The flight’s swift; the sex is _considerably_ less so.

\--- 

It’s impossible to think about the assholes at TMZ as Kara’s mouth follows the curve of your neck, and her body brushes languorously against yours.

 “ _Darling_ ,” you murmur, “I do _not_ have the endurance of a Kryptonian.”

 “I’m happy to do all the work.”  The offer’s tempting, as it always is.

 “While I appreciate that” – Kara’s mouth has made it down to your nipple, and her hand rests ever so _innocently_ just under your waist – “I am about to faint from hunger and I _know_ you’re hungry because you always” and Kara’s finger moves to rest teasingly against you as your voice rises breathily at the end and you think to yourself _poor choice of words_.

 “Why, Lena, you’re so right, I _am_ hungry” and her mouth, lips upturned mischievously, picks up speed on its journey down your body and then her tongue has joined the finger and your hands, almost unbidden, tangle themselves in her hair while your back arches under her skilled touch and you find reserves of strength of which you weren’t aware.

 ---

 “You’re terrible.”

 “I do not deny this.”

 “I can’t believe I walked right into that.”

 “You were tired, I’ll let you have a pass.”

 “Very sweet of you.”

 “Thanks, I thought so too.”

 This was a side of Kara you hadn’t expected, once rational thought returns to you. You’ve curled yourself into Kara’s side as she plays with your hair, waiting for you to gather the strength to go track down food. A _mischievous_ side that pops up at the most perfect moments. She gives as good as she gets, and you’d been surprised until Alex had begun to relax around you, and you’d seen immediately where this had come from, and _then_ you’d met the tiny whirlwind of snark that goes by the name of Maggie Sawyer and suddenly, everything had made sense. You love it, just like you love

oh shit

 No of course you love her, idiot. You’re about to go through a media firestorm just for the chance to be with her in public. You summon the strength to move your head just enough to kiss her sweat-slicked skin, just below her collarbone. Turns out Kryptonians _do_ sweat, and you would’ve been fascinated at the biothermodynamics of that fact, except the first time you’d had a chance to see it up close it had been _very_ personal.

 “Kara, darling?”

 Her hands move to the nape of your neck as you trace patterns onto her back. A brief, affirmative murmur is her only response.

 “Before this all blows up” and it’s a rude return to the coming reality, you know it, but you want her to know this prior to the shitstorm, and what better moment than now, naked, vulnerable, _loved_? “I want you to know that I’m ready for it. I don’t mind it. Because…”

 You take a breath. You’re Lena Luthor. You love Kara Danvers. She’s been good for you. She’s opened up a world of human interaction you’d never had before, and she did it _before_ you ever fell for her. You just had this realization twenty seconds ago, but why wait around? You’re Lena fucking Luthor, and you don’t beat around the bush when you make a decision

 “I love you, Lena.”

 wait what

 You finally raise your head to look at her, and she’s got a grin the size of the sun, and her blue eyes are glittering like the stars she came from, and you can’t help but laugh breathlessly

 “I love you, Kara”

 and your lips meet, again and again, and maybe you _do_ have the endurance of a Kryptonian as you roll her onto her back and work your way, slowly and softly, down her body until her back’s arched, her legs are wrapped over your shoulders, she’s got one hand in your hair and the other twisted into the sheets, and your mouth is working her up slowly but surely until she’s moaning, over and over, her love, and you nearly come right then and there along with her.

 You come anyway, two minutes later, legs wrapped around her waist, her forehead pressed against yours and her fingers buried inside you.

\---

The sun is setting when you finally manage to roll out of Kara’s arms. You pull on a button down you stole from Kara weeks ago, and if it weren’t for Kara’s stomach all but causing an earthquake, the fire in her eyes would necessitate another round. As it is, you tease her with a wink, eliciting a dramatic groan from her before it turns to a laugh as her stomach rumbles again. 

You laugh along with her and pull up a pair of boy shorts as she extricates herself from the tangled sheets and finds one of your CalTech hoodies. You’ve got a routine, now, as you’ve taught her the basics of cooking, and it feels like you’ve been doing this forever as you both move around each other in your expansive kitchen. Her speed comes in handing for chopping, passing you the ingredients for her favorite soup, and while you work on its final form she throws together a fruit salad – the only concession she’s made to your healthier eating habits. It’s a familiar ritual, as you dance to the music that is always playing in your place and laugh together. The table is ignored in favor of the barstools, and you both enjoy the meal for a few moments before you sigh. 

“We should check the news.”

Her face clouds for a moment, and then it clears. 

“Yeah. Let me get my phone, I should text Alex to see if she and J’onn have come up with a more concrete plan to make sure nobody connects me and Supergirl.” She slurps the last of her soup, knowing it’ll make you laugh (it does) before disappearing in a puff of air. You slide off the stool and turn on your bank of computers, throwing one display up onto the wall. 

The story’s broken, and you hear a sigh behind you and Kara flopping down on the couch.

“Faith in humanity, present. Faith in TMZ, exactly where it’s always been, which is the garbage.”

You shrug. “To them, I’m just another famous person dating. They don’t know what they’re dealing with, and we can’t tell them.” 

“Yeah, I know. Alex and J’onn are trying to come up with a situation where he can be me that won’t look too contrived.” 

“Hmm. Not a bad idea. Press conference? You are the lead science reporter for CatCo’s newly formed Tech section.”

She blushes at the obvious pride in your voice. The promotion wasn’t recent, but you still feel a swell of affection at the memory of her excitement on getting it. You bring it up whenever you can, just to make her blush.

“Yeah but you’d need to be presenting something that affects Supergirl.”

“Not a problem. We’ve got a few projects done that would.”

“Projects that necessitate a press conference?” 

“Yes, definitely. We’re about ready to announce the EXO clinic. You’re the face of the aliens in the city. Nobody would think twice about you being there, and we’re pioneering quite a bit of medical tech focused on aliens, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a science reporter to be there.”

Kara taps on her phone for a moment, and you collapse onto the catch practically on top of her. You’d found, after years of limited human contact, you were more than willing to provide the soft, casual touches Kara seemed to love. Your bare legs tangle together and she unconsciously twists her free hand into your still-sex-mussed hair.

“J’onn can do it. He’ll be Supergirl, won’t stay for questions. If I need to make a statement, he can just read my mind for it.”

 “Great. Now that that’s taken care of, do you want to laugh at the TMZ story?”

 “Oh my _god_ , do I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #givelenaluthorfriends2k17  
> Looks like this just became a drabble series.


	3. here's looking at you (through a pair of once broken glasses)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the most life changing of books, Lena discovers a massive oversight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is literally just me wanting everyone to love Harry Potter like I do, even Lena Luthor.

“Watcha reading?”

You have about two seconds of warning (not enough, incidentially) before a Kryptonian has leapt over the back of the couch _onto you_ and wrapped herself around you, much like you think a koala probably would.

“ _Was_ reading, at this point.” The book didn’t survive the surprise. Kara seems to find this hilarious. You do not, and sigh (perhaps a little dramatically) to indicate your displeasure. She doesn’t take the bait.

“I was reading _Harry Potter._ It’s the release date anniversary, I always read the first one today and the last one on September 2 nd.” 

Kara’s nose bunches up as she considers for a moment.

“First of all, it’s insane that you can read a whole book in a day.”

“Kara, darling, you can read scientific treatises that take _me_ weeks to understand in like, three days. 

“Okay, but that’s science, I was going to be a member of the Science Guild and you guys are _still_ in the dark ages. We were an oral culture, we _told_ stories, we didn’t write them down. I still prefer it that way.” 

You sit up so quickly you manage to (partially) dislodge your girlfriend.

“Are you saying what I _think_ you’re saying?” 

The infamous crinkle appears. 

“I have no idea. What am I saying?”

“YOU’VE NEVER READ HARRY POTTER?”

Kara’s unprepared for the sudden increase in volume, and you can tell it hurt her sensitive ears.

“Okay, sorry about that” – you kiss her quickly as an apology – “but seriously, you’ve never read Harry Potter?”

She shakes her head, loose curls flying around her face. “Nope! 

You are Lena Luthor, and therefore prone to dramatics, but you can’t imagine anyone would blame you in this situation as you flop back down on the couch. 

“How am I dating someone who has never read Harry Potter. How has this never come up. I am a failure of a girlfriend.” You don’t phrase any of these as questions. 

“ _Ehem_ , first of all, girlfriend is incorrect.” 

A hand, recently adorned by a glittering ring and matched with a simple, unassuming bracelet waves in front of your face. It’s quickly followed by a grinning face as Kara reassumes her position on top of you, and gently capturing your lips with hers. It’s a _very_ tempting invitation, and you _almost_ give in, but some things cannot be delayed, even for sex.

“Okay, yes, fair, I love you, darling, but you can’t… stop. Stop trying to distract me, it won’t work. Not this time… _dammit_ , Kara.”

She laughs and sits up.

“Sorry, but can you blame a girl for trying?” 

This last is delivered with a wink, and you regret the day you taught Kara to flirt.

“ _No_ , I’ve never read Harry Potter. I remember Alex reading them, and making Eliza take her to some of the book releases, but I’ve never read them. Haven’t seen the movies, either, they weren’t my thing. You _know_ this, remember the _Lord of the Rings_ Christmas Disaster 2k17?” 

You both wince at the memory. Your efforts to get Kara to watch the extended editions of your favorite movies had been… unsuccessful.

“It wasn’t a _disaster_ , per se." 

“It kinda _was_.”

“Okay, true, but this is _Harry Potter_. I can’t believe this hasn’t come up! I have to remedy this.”

“Dear, you’re muttering to yourself again. Besides, I don’t read stories, remember? Podcasts are my jam.” 

And suddenly, it hits you. Obviously, you can’t believe it took you so long. You have hit problem solving mode.

 “Okay. Krypton was an oral culture? I’ll give you three options. You have to pick one of them, for at _least_ the first book. If you hate it, I won’t make you finish the series.” 

Kara, at least, seems to recognize that for whatever reason, this is important to you, and resigns herself to suffering through this to make you happy. A part of you, detached from the problem-solving, recognizes this, and the star of warmth that so often appears around your fiancée grows a little bit larger. 

“Alright, hit me with your plans so I can meet this weird kid with a stick.”

“Audiobooks. There’s two audiobook versions, both of which are excellent – Stephen Fry and Jim Dale. I have both versions” – she scoffs and you think you hear a muttered “naturally” – “so you could try one of those.” 

She considers this for a moment. 

“You said there were three options?”

And you’ve gotten ahead of yourself, caught up in the moment of sharing this with Kara, sharing a story that was so important to you. You’d forgotten…

“Hey, Lena, what’s wrong?”

Kara’s hand is warm on your back, her concerned face swimming through your… tears. _Oh_.

“No, no, it’s fine, I just… I hadn’t thought about this in a while. It’s one of my last… last memories of my birth mother. Her reading the first book to me at night, right after it came out. I was going to offer to read it to you, and I guess… well. Lex and I used to sneak each new book in under Lillian’s nose, she wouldn’t have approved, she didn’t think they were _literature_.”

Kara smiles at you, but it’s a different smile. The one that is tinged with grief, the one that lost her planet and culture and people but has chosen to find the light anyway, the one..

and a quote rises in your mind: “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

 _Oh_ , you think again. 

She’s in the middle of comforting you, saying she understands, she’ll try the audiobooks, and you quiet her with a slow kiss.

“I’d _like_ to read them to you, if that’s okay. I think… I think you’ll really like them.”

She nods slowly.

“If you’re sure.”

“Very sure.” 

“Hey, Lena?” 

“Mm?”

“Will you do voices?”

She _always_ says the right thing at the right time for you. 

You swat at her, laughing through your tears, but she cheats and is suddenly floating up towards the ceiling.

You do the voices. 

~~

A month later, you’re turning the last page of the final book, and Kara is sniffling in the bed beside you.

“That was..”

You lean over, set the book on your bedside table, and curl yourself into her side.

  
“Yeah, I know. Get it now?”

She scoffs. 

“Does anybody not? Hey, you’re rich, and technically from the UK. Have you ever met her?”

“I haven’t, no.” 

“C’mon, why not? Set up a charity drive or something. We could probably rope Supergirl into it. I hear she’s a fan. Hey, Clark grew up here. Maybe he is too.”

You roll your eyes, but it _is_ an intriguing idea.

“Not a bad idea, actually. I’ll talk to Jess tomorrow.” 

“Let me know. Oh, yeah, don’t forget to take the cookies I baked for her birthday over. And you’re only allowed to steal one on your way to work. You already got your birthday present.”

You raise your head to look at her, smirking.

“And _what_ a present it was. Shame it can only happen on my birthday, though.” 

“I didn’t say _that_.”

~~

Jess is, unsurprisingly, a fan, and smacks herself on the forehead.

“Oh my _god_ , I’m the worst fan ever, I totally missed it. Jesus, I can’t believe it. The twentieth anniversary, of all things.”

“Fortunately, I have a plan for you to receive atonement. Use whatever weight I’ve got to figure out to personally contact Ms. Rowling. I’d like to talk to her about something, a charity idea.”

Jess’s head comes up, immediately shifting into business mode.

“Supergirl was, um, recently introduced to the series and had the idea. Something with education, reading, I’d think. Worldwide, the full support of L-Corp. Something a little different, more significant than anything else. If possible, obviously.”

“Trying to save the world, one wand at a time?”

“Something like that.”

And with nary a word more, Jess bustles off. She returns three hours later with the biggest shit-eating grin you’ve ever seen her wear.

“Miss Luthor, a Ms. Rowling on the line for you.” 

You are Lena Luthor, queen of technology, named Times’ Woman of the Year at age 25, fiancée to Supergirl _and_ Kara Danvers, last scion of the Luthor name and solely responsible for its rehabilitation, and you are frozen stiff at the thought of talking to the woman who undoubtedly changed your life more so than anyone but Kara. And Lex, but you… 

You don’t want to think about that. It doesn't belong any longer with those memories. Kara's given you better,  _much_ better, and Alex and Maggie and James and  _fuck_ JK Rowling really  _did_ change your life. 

No, she didn't. She _shaped_ it. Would it be odd to think that maybe she's partially responsible for you not being like.. them? 

“What do I _say_ , oh fuck I… I needed some _warning_ , Jessica!” 

She smirks at you. 

“Best figure it out soon, boss. She’s a-waitin.”

You manage to collect yourself enough to send a truly withering glare at your assistant and, _friend_ – though you’re reconsidering that second part right now. 

“Thank you, Jessica, for absolutely nothing. That’ll be all.” 

She laughs, the door is shut, and you are left alone with a blinking phone. Your mind runs, unbidden, to memories of your mother’s lilting Irish accent voicing Hermione, Dumbledore, Hagrid, to hands combing through your hair as you strove to stay awake for one more chapter. To getting Lex to sneak you out to the release of the final book, and reading it until the sun crested the horizon and you nearly fell asleep before you could hide it from your mother’s prying eyes. To reading it to the love of your life, and getting to watch her react with all the childlike enthusiasm and wonder that you had, that _billions_ of people had. And it’s that last thought, the thought of Kara, and sharing it with her, and sharing it with your future _children_ , that has you taking a breath, picking up the phone

“Ms. Rowling, thank you for speaking with me today. And, before we get to anything else, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for twenty years of magic.” 

After that, it’s easy. One of you has already changed the world, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu at mastersamwiseofthefryingpan on the tumbls


	4. here's looking at you (through tears)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you watch as Lena discovers a new place in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for homophobia, but also cw for hope because this is Supergirl, after all. all of the sudden this drabble series kind of has a plot.

Once a girl stops the two of you on the street. A teenager, a child, really. You’ve dragged her away to lunch, a compromise spot where you get your burger and she gets her _kale _, and a girl stops you on the street. Lena tenses immediately, waiting for shouted hatred or photos to be sold (at least she doesn’t expect bullets anymore, not with you standing next to her), and you’ve never seen her demeanor change so quickly before when the girl starts telling you that she’s only sixteen but she thinks she might be _not straight _but her parents aren’t really all that _open minded _and how do you do it, Ms. Luthor? How do you just be? and then Lena’s jaw is tensing for an entirely different reason.______

__

__

____

____

Lena writes her number on the girl’s palm without saying a word, then gives her a hug. When she pulls back, the girl’s crying and nodding and disappears into the crowd without another word. 

“What did you say?” 

She gives you a grin. You hate this grin. It’s the one she uses in the boardroom, when she’s fucking _pissed _but can’t show it.__

____

____

“You couldn’t hear?” 

“I… I wasn’t trying. It didn’t seem. Right.” 

The grin shifts, a little, to a gentler one that doesn’t evoke a wolf with bloody lips. This one is just sad, and you hate it too. 

“I told her to call me if they kicked her out, and I’d do whatever it took to help her.” 

A week later, you’re finishing the dishes while Lena glances through her email when her phone rings, and somehow, you both just _know _. This time, you listen in.__

____

____

The girl’s crying, and you wonder how neither of you managed to catch her name, but she’s crying and she has an hour to pack her things and her friends want to help but they can’t right now, they’re all poor with no extra room and it takes _ages _before Lena can get a word in.__

____

____

“Breathe, darling. Breathe. That’s it, in, two, three, four, out, two, three, four, five, six. Again: in, out.” 

It takes a minute, but the girl calms down. You walk up behind Lena and wrap her in your arms, trying to lend whatever strength Supergirl can offer. 

“What’s your name? 

Laci, the girl says, and in an embarrassed voice made all the more heartbreaking because of the situation (how could a parent _do this _you’ve never understood, Maggie can’t explain it either and it _happened _to her) she says she always liked that her name started with an L because of Lena.____

_____ _

_____ _

“Well, Laci, I’m sure you know that I’m good friends with Supergirl.” You grin when you catch where she’s going with this. “Why don’t you tell me where you are, and I’ll have her bring you to my place? She can help you pack, and she can make sure your parents don’t… do anything else.” Lena mouths at you to text Maggie and Alex to come over, and J’onn too. 

Laci doesn’t want to distract Supergirl, she’s sure that the heroine has better things to do and you just can’t take this anymore so you grab the phone. 

“Laci, hi, this is Supergirl and I am literally wearing sweatpants and no bra right now so why don’t you just go ahead and tell me where you are.” A low chuckle comes from Lena and you realize the poor teen will have some paperwork to sign but you honestly can’t bring yourself to give a flying fuck, pun intended. 

You get the address and are winging through the air a moment later. 

You manage to say nothing at all to Laci’s parents, who are admittedly shocked to see you, crest on full display. You’ve never been so grateful for the aura Supergirl exudes, and you use it to shoot the most profound look of disappointment you’ve ever mustered towards the girl’s parents. You help her pack, and you know she’s awestruck but it’s not the time. Laci doesn’t have much stuff, and it’s no trouble zipping her back to Lena’s all in one go (two trips are for wusses, Alex used to say). 

By the time you return, Laci is in tears again but there are quite a few friendly faces waiting. Somehow Lucy and James have appeared, and Winn steps in a moment after you land carrying the classic Kara Danvers Sad Food Basket. 

Laci, understandably, looks very confused on top of the emotional devastation she’s going through right now. 

Then, Lena Luthor gets to work. 

“Laci, hi. I’m Lena Luthor, and these are my friends. My family, really. They aren’t going to stay, if you don’t want them too, but they’re all here for you. They don’t care that they’ve never met you, they don’t care who you are, no one should go through what your parents are doing to you and we’re going to do whatever we can to help.” 

Laci sobs, and you set her things down and hug her before anyone else can. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Laci. I’m…” and you see J’onn wince just a little the second before you say it “Kara Danvers. Lena’s fiancée.” 

The girl looks at you with wide eyes. “You’re…. but. What?” 

Alex silently hands you your glasses, and you can tell from her lack of protest that you’ve made the right decision in her book.

“Hi. We’ve technically met before. I’ll just.. go change, really quickly.” 

You do it at a human speed, wanting Laci to get a chance to meet everyone, and when you get back they’ve all adjourned to a room out of earshot, except for Lena, Maggie, and Alex. Laci sits between Maggie and Lena, head on the detective’s shoulder while Alex fixes tea. The tears have stopped, but you think this vacant-eyed silence is probably worse. There’s more than one way to shatter a world, and you would know. 

Maggie looks up at you when you enter, a sad, wry smile on her face. 

“Just us queers now. If you want to talk, we’ll listen. If you don’t, we’ll listen to that, too.” 

A few sniffles. “They just… kicked me out.” 

It’s the smallest voice possible. You can hear it fine, especially with your hearing, but it’s just… _small _. Rudderless, lost, shattered identity. What do you even do with this? Losing a planet, sure, but that’s… big. This is the smallest thing possible. You have no idea__

____

____

but Lena does. 

“We won’t. If you want. You can stay here, for as long as you need. I happen to be extremely wealthy, so it’s not like it’s a burden in the slightest.” 

Laci’s head whips around so fast to meet Lena’s eyes, you could swear for a second that she had superpowers. 

“Are you… why? You don’t even… why?” 

And now you know, so you step forward. 

“Sometimes you lose family, for one reason or another. Everyone sitting next to you, everyone out in the other room… we’ve all lost it, one way or another. You know who I am now. I lost it all. But we found this. Laci, this is my family, now. There’s always room for more family.” 

You and Lena haven’t talked about this. You’re barely engaged, barely living together, but your eyes meet and you understand each other perfectly. 

Maggie and Alex smile at Laci, and nod, add their reassurances. 

“I got kicked out too, Laci, and it… it messed me up. It won’t be easy, dealing with this, but I can tell you, if I had what we’re offering, it would’ve been a hell of a lot easier.” 

The girl still looks awestruck, old enough to recognize the import of what Lena’s offering. What you’re all offering. 

Alex speaks up. “We’re big and loud and, um, strange, sometimes. But my sister’s right. There’s always room for a little more in family. My mom’ll love you.” 

Laci doesn’t stop crying. She won’t, for a while. You know this. But she cries a little easier, breathes a little more in between sobs, and for now, that’s something. 

She cries for two hours, twenty-seven minutes before she falls asleep. There is no question that she stays here tonight, so Maggie and Lena carefully extricate themselves and you pick her up with barely a jostle, floating a few inches above the floor to keep your rocking gait from waking the exhausted girl. 

No. Woman, now. Pain makes a woman, in your experience, and who would know better than you? Lena? Maggie? Alex? You are all pain, but so much more than that. 

You float outside her room all night, and Lena sits with you. 

"You know we need to talk through this, how we're going to do this. We haven't talked about kids, or parenting, and we've got a traumatized teen in our guest bedroom now." 

Lena nods. 

"I know. And we will, just not... now. I couldn't just _leave _her. I just... couldn't."__

__You pull Lena up into the air with you, your legs crossed and her just sitting in your lap. You hold her as tight as you dare._ _

__"I know you couldn't, and that's what makes you _you _. I love you, Lena Luthor, more than I could say. And honestly, I already love that girl in there. I wasn't lying. We can work out the details later, but we have room."___ _

___You feel a wet patch growing on your shoulder where Lena is crying into you, and you cry along with her. For hate, and lost innocence, but also for the chance to be something better for this girl. You've let people down before. Not even you can save everyone, but with Lena by your side, you think just maybe you can save this one.___

___When Laci wakes with the sun, tears already forming, you and Lena are there, together, to wipe them away._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM but I am 100% positive Lena would kind of end up being this icon for the LGBTQ+ community and here we are sorry for the pain. all of the sudden we have a plot. I think Lena Luthor is honestly one of the kindest people on the planet, but she shows it at times like this - not necessarily in the bubbly, happy go lucky moments like Kara. She's more like Alex, just kind, steady, and compassionate.


	5. here's looking at you (through a cracked and shining rainbow)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> food fights and tears and maybe families too

Laci does eventually wake, though, and you and Kara haven’t had enough to talk about what you did, what you offered. 

(“I don’t… I know I should’ve said something, before she called, but honestly, I didn’t _really _expect it, not right then. When she did, I just remembered…”__

____

__

“I _know _, Lena. I understand. _El mayarah _, always. It just.. shows who you really are, to me. Not that I needed the reminder, but…” and you’d shut Kara up with a kiss that tried to say everything you couldn’t before she started to ramble.)____

_____ _

_____ _

Conversations or no, the girl is awake, and you are both there. Hesitant, unsure, the weight of what you offered crashing down on you. 

Kara’s shoulders have always supported the weight of two planets, however, and yours the weight of a crusade of hatred and names polluted. Between the two of you, you have room for a little more. 

Laci looks at you with wide, young eyes as you enter slowly, and there’s a spark of gratefulness as she registers that you are still _there _, and she’s still _here _, but it gives way to devastation.____

_____ _

_____ _

“I hoped it was a dream.” 

And your beautiful superhero flits faster than the light she exudes to gather the teenager carefully in her arms. 

“For your sake, I wish it was, but it’s not. There are a lot of things that I wish were dreams, but whatever happens, you’re with us now, remember? We didn’t offer for the hell of it. We had all night to talk, while you slept, and even if you don’t want to… _stay _, here, with us, we’re still going to be behind you. With you, one hundred percent.”__

____

____

The tears come again, but they’re less heart-wrenching than the previous evening’s waterfall. You join Kara and Laci on the bed, wrapping your arms around them both. A few minutes pass, and you just let her cry, before Kara gives you a look and that indescribable _something _that you’d never had before pops up again. You understand each other perfectly.__

____

____

You carefully reach out and brush Laci’s hair out of her face. 

“Darling, no rush, but if you like, we can get you something to eat. I know you might not feel like it, but you should keep up your strength.” 

Kara smiles softly at the endearment, and quietly asks what kind of food Laci likes. 

In a whisper, voice rough, she replies that just coffee and some fruit would be fine. 

“No no. I didn’t ask what food you normally eat. If ever there was a time for comfort food, it’s now, and let me tell you, I am the queen of comfort food. Kryptonian metabolism, you know. I can eat it all.” 

Amazingly, the magic of Kara Zor-el starts to work and Laci smiles, just a bare upturn of the lips but _by Rao _you’re going to take it.__

____

____

“I like pancakes, I guess. I still need the coffee though.” 

“Pancakes, then. Lena’s rich and buys Vermont maple syrup, too, so even better. I’ll go get started.”

“I can help.” 

“No need, if you don’t want…” 

“I want to. I’m pretty good, actually. It’ll, um. It’ll keep me busy.” 

Kara directs a blinding smile towards Laci and extends her hand. 

“Then let’s go make some pancakes.”  
You stay behind a moment as Laci dries her eyes and asks after Maggie and Alex, the others in the Superfriends (you still can’t believe they call themselves that, and you have even more trouble believing that _you do too _). Her bag’s open on the ground, the few clothes she had stuffed in haphazardly. It’s the work of a moment to get her sizes, and you’ve got a good eye for style. Jess picks up on the first ring.__

____

____

“Miss Luthor…” 

“ _Jessica _.”__

____

____

“Sorry, Lena. What can I do for you?” 

“It’s Saturday, what if I just wanted to talk? You know your job isn’t twenty-four, seven.” 

A snort is her only reply, and you can _hear _the eye roll.__

____

____

“Right then. Well, it’s a bit of a long story, but if you wouldn’t mind, I need you to do some shopping for me. Clothes a teenager would like. Nothing too fancy, the essentials. Don’t go crazy, but don’t be afraid to get nice things. Got it?” 

Jess doesn’t miss a beat and you give her the sizes. 

“Is this evening soon enough?” 

“Oh, definitely. If you had plans, don’t cancel them. The girl’s got enough for a few days, and we don’t know if she’ll even want to stay.” 

“The girl… you know what, I’ll just get this done and wait for you to tell me what’s happening.” 

“Give yourself a bonus.” 

“I already put it in my reminders.” 

You laugh and hang up, and go help make pancakes. 

Laci looks, for the briefest of moments, as if her life hasn’t just been turned upside down, sucked in by the charm of Kara Danvers and the snark flying fast and furious between Alex and Maggie, who apparently spent the night. You hang back, for a moment, arms loosely crossed, trying to get a feel for the girl. She looks subdued, and sad, but she’s letting herself be distracted. That’s good. You… 

Well, you’re reminded that you have no idea what you’re doing. 

You also think that maybe, with these people, it doesn’t matter all that much. 

(You made yourself stop counting the days that they’d all stood by you a while ago. You used to count when you met someone new, to have an average expected time before Lena Luthor was left alone again. You don’t anymore.) 

“So, you’re Supergirl,” Laci says, flipping a pancake with a substantial amount of aplomb. 

Kara nods, tongue nearly sticking out as she carefully arranges strawberries in a pattern with whipped cream. They seem to be tag teaming on a breakfast that’s quickly going overboard in the best kind of way. 

“Yep! Kara Zor-el, at your service. Also, you know. Don’t tell anyone. That’d be really, _really _bad.”__

____

____

The teenager flips another pancake. 

“Well yeah of course _butthatissocool _!”__

____

____

Your fiancée catches your eye across the room, unblocked by fake frames, and smiles brightly. 

“Yeah, most days it is. I like helping people.” 

“Most days?” 

You step forward. 

“Yeah, we don’t like to advertise that Supergirl’s a real person with real feelings, but, such is the nature of things.” You mean it sarcastically, but Laci doesn’t catch it. 

“I’m sorry, I come here and all that’s happened to me is my parents.. um. I mean, you lost your plan-”

Kara cuts her off with A Look that’s all Supergirl and none of Kara Danvers. 

“Don’t you _dare _finish that sentence, Laci. This isn’t a competition about which one of us has gotten fucked worse.”__

____

____

You wince a little at the language, long years of high society hard to overcome, but it shuts Laci up, and she stares at your partner with wide eyes. Not many people can stand up to being snapped at by Supergirl.

“Yeah, I lost my planet. You lost your parents. Lena’s brother tried to kill Superman and her mom tried to kill every alien in National City. We can play this game all day, but it gets old real fast.” 

Supergirl takes a breath and when those broad shoulders relax, Kara Danvers is back. 

“Look, I’m sorry I snapped. But if you’re going to stay here – for however long you _do _stay here – that kind of thinking just.. isn’t allowed. Believe me, and believe Lena, it gets you absolutely nowhere. Let yourself feel whatever you need to feel, and don’t worry about anybody else for once.” A wry grin twists Kara’s features. “I’m Supergirl. I’m all about worrying about other people, but even I’ve gotta take a day off every now and then and curl up with my fiancée and watch Netflix in my PJs and make pancakes with a new friend.”__

____

____

Laci’s shoulders finally relax at that last sentence, and you wonder again at the force of light that is Kara Zor-el. 

Alex and Maggie have been sitting quietly for some time now at your kitchen bar, and as soon as they see Laci relax, you get the _worst _feeling. They have been together long enough at this point that they’ve developed that pseudo-telepathy between people who are meant to be together, and you’ve been around them long enough that you can catch bits and pieces of it, so when Maggie sidles oh-so-innocently towards the batter bowl you have about two seconds to plead__

____

____

“Maggie Sawyer, don’t you dare!” 

But it was a distraction all along. 

Alex managed to filch an egg while Kara and Laci were distracted with Maggie, and her aim is unerring. It hits Kara right in the center of her back, and the protector of National City turns, ever so slowly, towards her sister who is grinning like she’s just won the lottery. 

“Alex.” 

“Yes, sister of mine?” 

“You. Are. Dead.” 

The food fight begins in earnest. Laci valiantly tries to help you and Kara, but she’s no match for the pluck of Maggie Sawyer and the brilliant skill of Alex Danvers. There’s flour everywhere within seconds. Syrup ends up in your _hair oh my god Maggie _but you retaliate with smashing a strawberry on her face. Kara screams at you to duck right as Alex Frisbees a completed pancake at your head, which wizzes over to splat against the wall.__

____

____

James, Winn, and Lucy walk into a war zone ten minutes later, Winn looking delighted, Lucy like she’s sad she missed it, and James just bemused as only James can look.

Kara has the worst of it. Egg in her hair, flour sticking everywhere, syrup, fruit, anything that was to hand, the Enemy used against her. You feel bad for your partner but you’re a chess player, after all, and Kara does have super powers. 

You start laughing first, and it’s only seconds before everyone’s joining in. You sneak a glance at Laci, and she’s crying she’s laughing so hard, and then she’s just crying. 

Good times only last so long in this situation, so you’ll take what you can get. 

This time, Maggie’s the first to move. If things were different, you’d laugh harder at someone with dimples like Maggie’s trying to look serious and concerned who also happens to have avocado smeared across her cheeks. 

“Hey, hey hey it’s okay, what’s wrong?” she asks as she moves Laci towards the bathroom to get cleaned up. 

After another few seconds, you can only hear Maggie’s low, soft murmuring and you tilt your head curiously towards Kara, who simply shakes her head. 

“Uh, the rest of you can use Lena’s other bathroom to clean up. I’ll superspeed this mess, don’t worry about it.” 

Alex nods without protest and moves off (confidently, when did so many people become so familiar with your place it’s not the right time at all but _you love it _).__

____

____

There’s a blur of wind before you have a chance to say anything else and all of a sudden, your kitchen gleams once more. 

After a couple minutes, Maggie returns, some faint tear tracks dividing the flour still on her face. 

“How..?”

“She’s okay. She said everything just… felt like a family.” 

You nod slowly. “I guess that’s good. I’d hoped it would, honestly. Do you think…?”

Maggie looks at you keenly, and you see the traces of her own pain still in her watery eyes.

“She’ll stay? At least for a while? I hope so, too.” 

_Dammit _, when did Lena Luthor become so easy to read? You’re still not used to it, even after more than a few years. Alex exits the second bathroom, hair still wet, and you and Kara move to take it over.__

____

____

"We'll just be second. Shower together, save water and all."

Alex makes a face. "I did _not _need to hear that, but okay. And Lena..."__

____

____

You turn, eyebrows raised (one a little sticky from syrupy friendly fire), doing your best to still look like Lena Luthor, CEO. Things are good now, with you and Alex, but some old habits die harder than others.

She shakes her head and laughs in your face.

"I'm really glad you offered her a place."

You hear what's not being said, but you just smile and nod, and go to shower with Kara.


End file.
